Button



Sept. l0, 1940- J. L.. PERI-:LES

BUTTON Filed April 8. 1939 A/a/v- FAMA/Guus PL @JT/c 5. mpw VA T w. T M /A wm Patented Sept.` l0, 1940 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUTTON Joseph L. Perales, Milwaukee, Wis. Application April 8, 1939, Serial No. 266,895

6 Claims. (Cl. 40-10) My invention relates to improvements in butessential. Any of the back plates shown in the tons, the term button beingemployed in its other views may be substituted. generlc sense. The terms plastic and. plastics as herein Objects of my invention are to provide an used are defined and limited to those substances improved button of non-frangible material, known to the modern commercial art by those 5 transparent in whole or in part, and adapted for names as non-frangible, substantially incombuspurposes of display; to provide a button having tible, form maintaining material capable of being a form-sustaining transparent cap, a portion of made transparent, translucent, or substantially which is adapted to serve as a magnifying lens; opaque, dependent upon the presence or absence 10 to provide a button in which the cap and the of coloring or opaque material not essential to 10 backing are spaced from each other except at the characteristics of the material as a plastic. the margins to form a cavity within which fabrics Plastics, as so defined, are soluble in alcohol, and similar materials may be displayed without benzine, acetone or other volatile members of compression; to provide a button having a cap, a the ketonic and aldehyde groups. V backing, and a. connecting hub formed integrally Between the cap I0 and the back plate I2, mate- 15 of transparent material, and providedwith a rial to be displayed may be interposed in Figures cavity in which various articles may be displayed; l and 2. This material to be displayed comprises to provide a cavitated button containing an a piece or disk of fabric I6, preferably correarticle to be displayed, and otherwise composed spending to or matching the garment to which it wholly of transparent plastic, such, for example, is intended to be secured. 20 as acetate or synthetic resins. The button may be assembled by inserting the In the drawing: disk I6 in the cap socket, then applying the Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of my backing I2 and cementing its margin to the rim improved button, with one side of the cap par- II, or preferably integrally connecting it by aptially broken away to disclose an insert of fabriplying liquid plastic at the joint I'I and allowing 25 cated material. it to harden.

Figure 2 is asectional view of the same, drawn In place of the fabric disk I6, I may substitute to line 2-2 of Figure 1. a picture card I8, as illustrated in Figure 3, or

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, illusany other device or material to be displayed. trating a pictorial insert. In Figure 4, I have illustrated a concavo-convex 3u Figure 4 is a sectional view drawn to the same cap Illa, having a rim portion I la shouldered at 20 plane as Figure 2, but showing a modified form to receive the back plate or disk I2a,the back plate of construction, in which the central portion of being thus spaced at a substantial distance from .the cap is spaced from the backing sufficiently the central portion of the cap lila, whereby a to receive a fabricated insert with projecting piece 22 of velvet or similar material may be 35 fibers or so-called nap. placed on display without having its nap com- Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, and showpressed by the cap. Preferably, the curvature of ing a modified form of cap provided with a centhe cap is such as to magnify the fabric or any tral bulls-eye, capable of a high degree of magpicture or other object contained in the cavity o nication, whereby the contents of the cavity, 23. The rim IIa may be of the so-called snapwhether fabric or pictorial, may be magnified on type, the margin of the back plate having when viewed from the proper angle. the form of an inverted cone.

Figure 6 is a wn'ew, partly in perspective and If desired, the material to be displayed may be partly in section, showing a modified backsecured to the backing by any suitable means 5 member. adapted to prevent it from shifting in the cavity 45 Like parts are identified by the same reference 23. If the backing is formed of plastic, I prefers characters throughout the several views. f ably apply liquiform plastic to its surface before In Figures 1 and 2 the cap I0 is formed of applying the material to be displayed. When plastic, preferably molded with a convex outer this plastic cement hardens, it securely connects surface and a rounded margin I'I. The rear or the material to be displayed with the backing. 50 inner face is socketed to receive a suitable back In Figure 5, I have illustrated a cap having a plate I2, which may be molded of the same materelatively at annular portion Illb encircling a rial, and provided with a hub I3 having apertures central bulls eye 25. The rim IIb of this cap is I4 therein to facilitate stitching the button to a similar to that illustrated in Figure 4, although u garment. The form of the back plate is not an interior shoulder is not necessary unless emof colored paper or other suitable material. Its

exposed surface may be either ornamental or any solid color to provide a mounting or background for aV picture, or for any other-material on display in the recess.

In Figure 6, I have illustrated a back plate l2c formed of colored material. The top surface 28e will be exposed through a transparent or translucent cap of any one of the types above described. vThis back plate has a recess 21o provided with stitching apertures 30 in its bottom, whereby the back plate may be sewed to a garment in the ordinary manner,Y after which the material to be displayed may be inserted in the recess in a position to cover the stitching, and the cap may then be applied and secured by any suitable means.

By employing caps formed of plastic, it is possible to mold the cap rims to the vmargins of the back plate, in which event the cap plate may be released at any time by applying a suitable solvent to the molded rim.

I am aware of the fact that display buttons have heretofore been made with Celluloid or glass covers, protected by form maintaining materials of metal or other opaque substances. Frangible material, such as glass, requires to be covered and protected, whereas caps formed of plastic are non-frangible, do not scratch readily, and are otherwise not subject toany material deterioration or damage. They may be composed of any transparent or translucent plastic, such plastic being made from various substances, and being well-known commercially to persons skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

It will be understood that the features illustrated in the various modifications are applicable to the structures shown in the other illustrated forms, in a great variety of shapes and sizes, and a great variety of materials may thus be displayed in highly ornamental buttons, and the contents on display may be changed from time to time, particularly when the caps employed are of the snap-on type.

I claim:

1. A button comprising cap and backing members composed of Iform maintaining, non-frangible substantially incombustible plastic, said backing member being socketed in the rim portion of the cap member and provided with stitch'- ing apertures to facilitate securing it to a garment, said cap being transparent, and the inner surface of the backing being provided with a body of relatively opaque material supported by the backing, spaced from the cap, and visible through the central portion thereof, said backing and the rim portion of the cap, and arr'intervening body of relatively opaque material supported in a nat position on the backing and visible through the cap, said cap being spaced from said material and .forming with the bacldng an interior cavity of contained material, including sulcient dimensions to avoid compression of fabrics having a pile, such as velvet.

3. A button comprising cap and backing members composed of transparent, form-maintaining, nonfrangible, substantially incombustible plastic, said cap member having a rim adapted for snapon engagement with the backing, and a central portion spaced from the backing .and being of relatively increased thickness, with a convex outer surface adapted to serve as a magnifying lens, a body of relatively opaque material supported upon the interior surface of the backing, and means for preventing said material from shifting on said surface.

4. A button comprising the combination of a transparent cap composed of form-sustaining plastic, a backing formed of form-sustaining plastic socketed in` the rim portion of the cap, and an intervening body of material on display, having a soluble plastic connection with the back, said material being spaced from the central. portion of the cap.

5. A button comprising the combination of a backing and a transparent cap each composed of form-sustaining plastic, the backing being socketed in the rim portion of the cap, an intervening body ormaterial on display, having a. soluble plastic connection with the back and spaced from the central portion of the cap, and a soluble plastic connection between the margin of the backing and the socketed portion of the cap in aid of the gripping action of the cap rim, whereby the cap and backing are inseparable under ordinary conditions of use, while remaining separable for the purpose of substituting material to be displaced.

6. In a button of the described type, a backing having the form of a fiat annulus provided with a circular recess in its upper surface, the bottom of which is provided with stitching apertures, in combination with material on display in said recess, and a transparent cap spaced from such material and having a margin in pressure engagement with the backing and normally secured thereto by soluble plastic material to form substantially a one-piece structure, inseparable under ordinary conditions of use. ef

JOSEPH L. PERELES. 

